The Twins
by Hotwinter
Summary: O.k so I've completly redone this story.What if Kel had never come to the castle but instead two twins had,this is their story.Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

(Disclaimer: I own nothing and I mean that.)

Chapter 1

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this, I must be completely insane. Of course I would have to be, being related to you," hissed Serena to her twin sister.

"I come on you know you wanted to do this as much as me," Saline hissed back to her sister.

Twin sisters, Serena and Saline who were to be the first known female pages in over a hundred years, argued quietly as they sat in the office of training master Lord Wyldon.

Lord Wyldon strolled into his office his face looking like a sour lemon. "I will not pretend to be happy that you are here," he began," however, I will tolerate you for a year if I must."

The twins stared at him trying to keep their faces blank, but their large dark eyes easily gave away their rage.

"The two of you will be on probation for a year, at the end of the year if you do not meet my standards you will be dismissed," the training master said coldly. "You will be staying in the pages quarters with the boys. I will not tolerate any flirtations of any kind with the boys and if I catch either of you alone with a boy you will be immediately sent home. I will receive no special treatments of privileges because of your sex here, do you understand?"

"Yes, Lord Wyldon," the twins said quietly.

"Good, you may go," he said with a frown.

The twins left the room quickly to begin the search for their rooms.

"Mean, old bastard isn't he," said Serena quietly to her sister.

"That much is for sure, it's o.k though we'll prove him wrong," responded Saline loudly enough for the people in the hall that openly stared at them to hear.

"I wish I was as sure as you, I really do," said Serena softly enough for her sister not to hear her.

"Here goes," said Saline quirking her eyebrows, "lets see how the pages live."

She slowly turned her doorknob in a dramatic fashion as her sister smiled at her silliness.

"O, Great mother Goddess, what has happened in here," gasped Saline as she looked with awe at the wreckage that was her room. The furniture was all flipped over the wall paper had been ripped and the room wreaked of yourine.

Serena ran to her own room and found it had been wrecked as well. She gazed at the room and her large dark eyes blazed, "How dare they, how dare they," she mumbled quietly her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"It's o.k sis, we'll just clean it up," said Saline walking over to her sister.

"No need to worry about that, you just change I'll take care of this," said a short thin woman, "I'm Salma by the way,"

"Thank you so much," said Serena softly.

The girls changed quickly out of the dresses they had worn there and into long tunics in light pastel colors and dark hose. They had just finished when they heard a loud bell.

"Time," said Salma quietly from a corner of the room.

The two girls drew in deep breaths and walked out into the hall, standing in front of their closed doors.

Lord Wyldon walked toward them followed by several senior pages. Serena who was more observative than her rash sister noted all the boys and characterized them quickly.

Lord Wyldon gave a gruff speech about pages having sponsors and quickly began the process of finding sponsers. He saved the twins for last, "Who will sponsor Saline of Lockridge?" he asked quietly.

"She doesn't belong her or her sister," said Zahir a tall and handsome Bahzir.

"I'll sponsor her," said a pretty boy with white blond hair and lovely blue eyes.

"I-I'm not sure Joren of Stone Mountain, is-there no one else," said Lord Wyldon thoughtfully.

"Well, I suppose if know one else will, that I'd be happy to sponsor her," said a tall boy, with green eyes, and brown hair said coyly from the back of the crowd.

"Watch your tone Nealan of Queenscove, and usually a sponsor is a page in his second year at least," said Wyldon with a sigh.

"Indeed your lordship, but I've been at the castle all of my long 15 years, I'm sure that I would do a fine job of showing them around," he said with a bow.

"Nealan I haven't the patience nor time to play silly games with you today, you will sponsor Saline," he said gruffly, "and who will sponsor her sister?"

"My lord, I will sponsor the lady," said someone that Serena couldn't see.

"Are you sure your highness?" asked Wyldon the lines on his forhead deepening.

"Yes," said the crowned prince softly coming forward.

Serena gasped softly in surprise. "Why would he sponsor me?" she wondered to herself as she noted the princes dark hair and gentle eyes with a smile.

"Fine, you shall sponsor the other girl," said Wyldon walking away and frown marring his features.

(Okay so I've completely redone this story, to make it more interesting, hope you like it. Reviews always welcome.)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: This isn't mine well except for the twins.

Chapter 2

"Your highness," Serena said softly as she curtsied to the prince.

"Please, call me Roald, and don't bow I hate it," said Roald with a smile.

"Of course," said Serena with a smile.

"Well come on we have to get to dinner. So tell me what is it that made you want to be a knight, anyways?" asked Roald with a curious smile.

"Honestly, it was my sister's idea more than mine, but I've always been different I suppose and pretty good hand with a sword, too," said Serena smiling up at Roald.

"Really, I never would have guessed that, no offense but you to look a little delicate," said Roald staring at Serena carefully.

Serena wasn't at all surprised at all that Roald would think that, people had always thought of her and her sister as dainty and delicate. The girls had golden hazel eyes that stood out from their dark brown skin boldly, they were thin and fairly tall with strong, delicate features, and long, silky black hair pulled into a ponytail.

"People are always telling me that," said Serena, "but why is it that you think that, hmm?"

"Well it's just that you're so small and delicate looking," said Roald thoughtfully. "Is that bad?"

"No, not at all, but as my grandfather always said, the prettiest flower is often the most deadly," she said coyly.

"That's true I suppose," said Roald.

They walked on in silence Roald led the way to the mess hall, staring at Serena strangely.

Saline stared at Nealan, she noticed that he seemed old to be a page he had questioning green eyes, and dark brown hair.

"Well, I suppose we should get to supper now," said Nealan quickly.

"Yea, sure. So what made you choose me?" asked Saline quickly.

"I don't know you seemed like you would be quite an interesting person to sponsor, and I've think that you and your sister deserve to be here as much as any of us," he said thoughtfully.

"Thank you, but don't worry. We don't give up easily," said Saline with a coy smile.

"Yea, well I hope so because their try their best to get rid of you two," said Nealan, with a sweeping glance.

"Pardon me, Nealan, but you seem a bit old to be a page," queried Saline thoughtfully.

"Call me Neal, and I quit the university to come hear and become a page," said Neal tauntly.

"O.k, Neal, but why would you leave to become a page?" asked Saline.

"Why, did you come here to be a page?" Neal asked questioningly.

"I don't know, it just seemed like the right thing to do," said Saline after thinking about it for a moment.

"Exactly," said Neal, "that's how I felt,"

Saline walked quickly along side Neal matching his quick pace carefully.

"Come, let's catch up with your sister and Roald," said Neal quicken his pace even more to catch up with the prince.

"So, Roald, I have a feeling that we in for more than we thought with these two," said Neal to Roald with a grin.

"I must agree, but a knight is supposed to be able to deal with anything, right?" he responded with a smile.

"You know I just want you guys to know that we can hear you, so you might not want to talk about us," said Saline slyly as her sister smiled at her sister tactlessness.

"I'm so sorry, my lady," said Neal bowing grandly to the twins.

"Ha, ha very funny, can we just hurry this up please?" said Serena tapping her foot on the floor impatiently.

"Indeed, my fair lady," said Roald picking up on Neal's joke.

They walked on to supper silently, when they arrived at supper the room went completely silent, as the boys all stared at the two girls.

"Tough crowd," said Saline quietly, her sister nodded gravely.

"Come on," said Roald quickly, "we better sit before Wyldon arrives."

They sat down quickly and the boys near them, all scooted further down to stop from having to sit near the girls or their sponsors. Just then the king walked into the room as the boys and two girls all hopped hurriedly to their feet.

"Please, please, eat and then I tell you what I came to say," said the King with a smile, his white teeth flashing against his dark beard. The King was an extremely good-looking man and his sapphire blue eyes stood out boldly from his fair skin.

Lord Wyldon gave a quick blessing and the pages and squires began to eat quietly. Serena noticed that the King, though he was talking to Wyldon, was staring at the pages looking them all over. His gaze fell on the twins and he smiled, his eyes congratulating them.

At the end of the supper the King stood, "I just want to wish you all good luck in your studies this year, as well as to tell you to do your best, I'm going to need each and everyone of you," he said his eyes lingering on his son and the twins. With that he swepped from the room before anyone could even stand.

"I want you all to enjoy your rest, because after tomorrow you'll get no more," said Lord Wyldon and with that he dismissed them.

The girls rose slowly and were walked back to their rooms by Roald, and Neal.

"Wouldn't want any of our fellows getting any ideas, to try to get rid of you two early," said Roald with a smile as he left them outside their doors.

"Indeed, this year would be quite boring without you two," said Neal as he and Roald walked away.

The girls went to their collective rooms and laid down, they had made it through their first day, with so many more to go.

(O.k so what do you think. Is pretty good, I think. Please read and review.)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: It is sad but true; I own nothing except the twins.

Chapter 3

"Roald?" queried Serena as she followed him around the palace grounds.

"Yes?" he called to her without looking back.

"Do you want to be King? I've noticed that you hate for people to treat you as royalty," said Serena slowly, choosing her words as he tried not to offend the prince.

Roald stopped dead in front of her and sighed softly, "I don't know. What if I'm a horrible King and I lead Tortal into ruins,"

"I'm sure you would make a great King, you've done an excellent job guiding me so far," she said as she walked around to face him.

"Yes but you're only one person, not an entire kingdom," he said looking at the ground.

"Maybe so, but I'm sure your father will teach you everything you need to know, and if he doesn't don't worry being king is in your blood.

"I hope so," Roald mumbled, "but that reminds me there's something I want to ask you,"

"Well since I just asked you something it's only fair, right?" said Serena calmly.

"I suppose so, do either you or your sister possess the gift?" he asked quietly.

"Actually we both do, but we have to combine both our powers to do anything. It gets really annoying sometimes not to be able to use it alone." she said thoughtfully.

"That's strange, so I suppose you will have to travel together once your are nights, and probably as squires as well," Roald said decidedly.

"Yes, I've thought of that," said Serena.

"You will have to take special classes to learn to use your gift better, but don't worry I'll be there and so will Neal," he said.

"I knew Neal possessed the gift, but I didn't know you did as well," said Serena looking at Roald strangely.

"Well there are a lot of things you don't know about me," said Roald with a smile.

Serena returned his smile, with one of her own.

"So, do you and your sister know anything about weaponry?" asked Neal as he led Saline to the library.

"We know how to use a few of the weapons used her in Tortall, but we're better with the more _savage_ weapons of the Carthak," she said straining the word savage lightly.

"You and your sister are from Carthak, then?" Neal queried his eyes growing wide.

"Not exactly, our mother was a Carthak, but our father was a Tortallian born and bred and brought her here so that he could marry her," said Saline smiling at Neal's shock.

"Oh," said Neal softly.

"Neal, where are we going?" asked Saline after a few akward seconds.

"Oh, we're going to the best place in this entire castle. We are going to the library," he said with a huge smile.

"O.k. but why did you ask me about weapons if we're going to the library," she asked confused.

"It just seemed like a good time to ask," said Neal slyly.

"Page Nealan, you are completely out of your mind," said Saline with a smile.

The next day, the girls awoke before the sun had begun to come up. Saline crept quietly out to the hall, and rapped softly on her sister's door. Serena opened it immediately.

"I'm nervous," said Serena quietly to her sister as she started a fire in the cold room.

"Don't be I'm sure everything will be just fine," said Saline in a confident voice though her hands shook in fear.

"We'll see," said Serena removing the water from that she had been heating over the fire and walking behind the screen to bathe.

"It'll be o.k," Saline mumbled to herself as she crept back to her own room.

Serena bathed quickly and changed into a soft, light pink tunic, and black hose. She brushed her hair quickly, pulling it up into a high horsetail. When she was completely ready she sat down on the floor legs crossed over each other and said a silent pray to the Great Mother Goddess.

In her room, Saline did the same as her sister, except she changed into a pale blue tunic. She sat on the floor and said her own prayer, finishing just as the bell rang for the pages to go down to breakfast.

The twins walked quietly down the hall together towards breakfast. When they arrived they found Roald smiling and Neal nearly asleep over his porridge.

"You girls look pretty today," said Roald.

"Really, I like to think we look pretty everyday," said Saline as Serena gasped.

"Well, I like to think that I didn't have to get up this early, but we don't always get what we want," said Neal morosely.

This comment caused everyone to laugh and the mood to lighten.

"So are you to ready for your first day of training," asked Roald with a smile.

"As ready as we'll ever be," said Serena softly.

"Don't worry it's not that bad," said Roald softly.

"Yea, really it's not," said Neal after Neal nudged him.

The bell rang again just as they were finishing their food. The girls rose slowly and followed the boys out to the practice court, not knowing what to expect.

(O.k, I hope you like it. It took me a little while to update and I'm sorry. Pretty please review.)


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I still don't have anything as pathetic as that is.

Chapter 4

"You ready sister?" asked Saline walking beside her sister.

"No I'm not, but there's no turning back now is there?" Serena answered with a quick smirk.

"You should leave now while you still have a chance," Joren hissed softly as he and his group brushed pass the twins.

"Don't worry about him," said Neal from ahead of them, "he's all talk,"

"Even if he's not he'll have a time dealing with Saline," said Serena smiling at her sister.

"What about you Serena? Are you saying that you aren't a fighter?" Neal asked curiously.

"That's for me to know and you to find out, if you ever make me angry," said Serena with a wide smile.

"I'll keep that in mind," said Neal thoughtfully.

The pages headed down to the practice courts, where they were met by what appeared to be two Shang warriors. The woman looked down at them fence where she perched. Her eyes had a pale yet intelligent look; her gray hair was cropped into short gray curls framing a face that was both dainty and weathered. Her clothes were simple and baggy.

The other Shang stood at the center of the yard his hands braced on his hips. He appeared to be a tall Yamani. His skin was golden, his limps pump, and his nose small. His eyes were black, but held a lot of life especially for a Yamani; his hair was short on the sides and long on the top. His shoes, along with the woman's, were soft and flexible.

"For those who are new," he began, "I am Hakuin Seastone, the Shang Horse. My colleague over there is Eda Bell, the Shang Wildcat,"

"I may look like someone's grandmother," the woman began dryly, " but, some grandchildren need more raising than others, and I supply it." She grinned and showed very white teeth.

The twins noticed that many of the pages looked intimidated especially the red headed Merric.

Hakuin told the older pages to pair up and run the first drill for Eda, while he beckoned the new pages over to him in the corner of the yard.

"Your first and most important lesson is to learn how to fall. You must slap the ground as you hit and roll. Like this," He fell forward, using his arms to break his fall. The pages jumped; the sound and the puff of dust he raised made the fall appear more serious than is was.

The Horse got to his feet and held a hand out to the blond Quinden. As soon he took is he found himself gently over Hakuin's hip. Only after he had landed did he remember to slap the ground.

"You have to do that earlier, as you hit," said Hakuin as he gently helped Quinden up. "Now," He beckoned to Saline and offered her his hand.

She grabbed his hand lightly and allowed her dainty body to be thrown. She flipped over his hip stretching her body upward and landing daintily on his other side standing on two feet.

Hakuin regarded her carefully his dark eyes thoughtful, "Who taught you that?" he asked after a long pause.

"My mother," Saline said quietly, wondering why Hakuin was looking at her like that.

"A Carthak?" he questioned

"Y-yes sir," she stuttered looking at the ground. She heard a few of the other pages gasp at this.

"Indeed, that is very well, but could you practice actually falling this time," he replied, holding out his hand again.

Saline nodded before grabbing it and falling as she had been instructed.

"I'm guessing you can land like your sister?" Hakuin asked holding his hand out to Serena.

"Actually, I usually have to land on all fours. I never quite managed to land on just two feet," she replied. This caused a chuckle from Hakuin.

Serena grabbed his hand and fell slapping the ground like she had been instructed.

"Good, good," said Hakuin to the pages just before the bell rang.

The next morning bell rang and the pages moved to another practice yard. A small black man in the uniform of the palace guard stood waiting for them beside a barrel full of wooden staffs.

The pages selected a staff as they passed the barrel.

"I am Sergeant Obafem Ezeko," he announced in a loud unaccented voice, "Formerly weapons instructor to the Imperial Guard of Carthak now serving the crown of Tortall. Lord Wyldon and I will instruct you in the use of various weapons. Pair up you new ones at this end of the line. Cleon of Kennan and Vinson of Genlith, come here to demonstrate.

Cleon was a big, redheaded boy and was Esmond of Nicoline's sponsor. He walked up by the sergeant spinning the staff idly. Vinson went and faced Cleon. Vinson was a tall, bony youth, and the twins had noticed him sitting with Joren during supper and breakfast.

He had them show the pages the different strikes and blocks. Vinson blocked Cleon strikes but scowled at him, showing that his strikes were harder than necessary. After all the strikes and blocks had been demonstrated the pages were told to pair up the newer pages pairing with other new pages.

Serena and Saline faced off in the lines and began to run the drill striking and blocking as they had been instructed.

"Stay on my count, high, middle, low," bellowed Ezeko.

Cry of pain could be heard as fingers were struck by the wood.

"Keep going! If your fingers hadn't been in the way they wouldn't gotten hit," yelled Ezeko.

Lord Wyldon arrived in the yard and began to correct the other pages. The twins noticed that he stayed purposely away from them.

"Enough," Wyldon said after a while.

"Switch partners," said the Sergeant, "Older pages pair up with the younger ones, and see if you can better their speed. Come on, switch pairs!"

Serena and Saline were pushed and shoved out of line as the boys rushed to attempt to reach the person they wanted to pair with.

Roald searched the lines for Serena; he was worried that she would end up with someone, who would attempt to harm her. He rushed down the line, but realized he wouldn't be able to get to her and decided to face pair with Saline. He could only hope she would find a decent partner.

Serena was shoved from behind into the line just as Ezeko blew his whistle for the drill to begin. She sighed quietly to herself as she realized that she had intentionally shoved here. She was standing at the end of the line as far from Wyldon and Ezeko as possible. As she looked into the eyes of her partner her suspicions were confirmed. She was partnered with Joren.

(Hey everybody, I just wanted to thank all you that have reviewed and hope that you will continue to. I also do realize that when Hakuin flipped Saline she had to defy gravity to land on her feet, but so what it's my story and I wanted her to. For all of you that think this story is MarySueing well I'm sorry, but this is how I wanted to write it, even though I have to apologize for any grammatical errors, I don't proofread. I'm thinking about making this a four part series like the _Protector of the Small Quartet_, tell me what you think.)


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: As of yet I don't own a thing, not a one sadly

Chapter 5

Joren stared back at her his blue eyes cold and icy. "You're gonna regret you ever came here, when I get done with you," he hissed quietly.

Staring into those cold blue eyes, Serena felt her knees start to go weak, she felt almost as if her body had gone numb. Why was this happening to her, Saline was the tough one. "I regret nothing I do," Serena called quietly.

"Right line strikes, left lane blocks," cried Sergeant Ezeko

"On my mark pages. High block, low block," Wyldon began.

Joren, to Serena surprise, did not strike with excessive force or try to trip her up. She studied his dark eyes wondering what he was up to and trying to prepare herself for the worst.

"Come on Page Nealan, pick up the pace," Serena heard Zahir growl.

Serena turned away from her partner long enough to see that Zahir was backing Neal into a corner, and that the instructors and other pages were beginning to surround them. Joren took advantage of hear absentness and dove at her with his staff, whacking her soundly in the stomach. She turned back to her attacker and she saw that his blue eyes glowed maliciously. They planned this, they planned a distraction so that no one would notice what Joren did to her.

"You little wench, you'll regret the day you were ever born," Joren gasped as his breathing quicken, as his strikes at her became wild.

Serena drew in her breath quickly, she did her best to block his wild strikes but her was getting the better of her. If she didn't do something fast he would cause her serious injury.

"Do you think you can make me leave? Do you honestly believe that I'm afraid of you, afraid of a boy that looks so much like a girl?" Serena taunted him as she tried to decide what to do.

In his anger at her taunting, Joren began to strike wilder than ever as he was blinded by his rage.

Serena took advantage of his anger, she quickly used her self to propel herself over his head and away from the corner he had been trying to force her into. As she came down she kicked him squarely in the jaw. As she kicked him Joren screamed loudly, his scream got the attention of the pages and instructors.

"Page Serena! What are you doing? We do not do that kind of battle here in this castle! We will have no barbaric fighting here," Wyldon barked at her.

"I'm trying to save my life!" Serena growled back hoarsely.

"Don't start with me Page, you know I can get rid of you and your sister in a second. Watch yourself!" Wyldon snapped.

The bell rang immediately after that and Serena ran off to the castle to her room to rest a minute before the classes started.

"Serena I-I are you o.k," said Roald quietly as he rapped on the door.

Serena opened the door and stepped out, her usually golden eyes had turned a almost pitch black color that was accented violently with golden flecks.

"I'm fine my prince, just fine,"she said stepping past him and heading towards her classes.

Halfway down the hall she felt a hand on her soldier, "I just want you to know that I'll always be here for you," said Roald softly.

"I know you want to, but you won't always be around to protect me. I can take care of myself," said Serena smiling slightly for the first time, "Don't look so worried!"

The prince smiled in spite of himself. This girl in front of him was something special. He could already feel her making her mark on him, this was the start of something neither one of them were truly prepared to finish.

Saline stared at her sister's retreating figure but knew better than to follow her.

"Is she o.k?" asked Neal as he softly gripped Saline's soldier and lead her away from the practice courts.

"She's a strong girl she'll be o.k," said Saline quietly allowing herself to be lead away.

"What about you? You seem like a strong girl too, is it just an illusion?" asked Neal after looking her over for a split second.

"What do you mean? Are you calling me weak Nealan?" asked Saline angrily tearing away from his grip.

"No, no heavens no! Don't overeact Saline I din't mean to insult you. I…I was just thinking about something my father told me. He said the mightiest of the warriors are the ones that cry themselves to sleep," said Neal quickly as he reached out a hand to her.

"My you're a strange boy what does that have to do with what you asked me?" said Saline avoiding his eyes.

"I know that physically you can do this Saline. You are in better shape than most of the boys, but emotionally the two of you are going to go through a lot with this. I want you to know I'm here always ready to talk," said Neal slowly.

"I-I don't know what you mean Neal. I don't wanna talk about this I just…I just wanna be a knight that's all," said Saline nervously pulling away from him.

"I have to go find my sister," said Saline before running of towards the castle.

"Great job Nealan, just scare her away that'll work," he groaned to himself as he punched at the air.

Saline found her sister walking in the corridor past the library. She could see Roald staring at them from the end of the hall. He was looking at them as if he was trying to read them.

"You look like you're feeling better," said Saline as she walked up to her sister.

"Yea, I suppose. What's wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost," said Serena looking her sister over carefully.

Saline turned and looked into a large ornamented mirror used as a wall decoration. Her sister was right her hair was swept back from the running she had done to get away from Neal, her eyes looked almost like liquid rock because her eyes had been watering.

"It's nothing we'll talk about it later. For now we have to go see how classes as a page are," said Saline forcing herself to smile.

"Yes, and I'm not going to forget. We will talk about this," said Serena after a moment.

(O.k that's my new chapter. I'm sorry it took as long as it id but I more or less just couldn't think of anything. Please review!)


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